Kalbarri National Park, WA, Australia

Kalbarri National Park, WA, Australia

Kalbarri National Park is located 485 km (301 mi) north of Perth, in the Mid West region of Western Australia. The major geographical features of the park include the Murchison River gorge which runs for nearly 80 km (50 mi) on the lower reaches of the Murchison River. Spectacular coastal cliffs are located on the coast near the mouth of the Murchison River and the town of Kalbarri. With its magnificent river red gums and Tumblagooda sandstone, the rugged Kalbarri National Park contains almost 2000 sq km of wild bushland, stunning river gorges and savagely eroded coastal cliffs. There’s abundant wildlife, including 200 species of birds, and spectacular wildflowers between July and November.

A string of lookouts dot the impressive coast south of town and the easy Bigurda Trail (8km one way) follows the cliff tops between Natural Bridge and Eagle Gorge ; from July to November you may spot migrating whales. Closer to town are Pot Alley , Rainbow Valley , Mushroom Rock and Red Bluff , the latter accessible via a walking trail from Kalbarri (5.5km one way).

The river gorges are east of Kalbarri, 11km down Ajana Kalbarri Rd to the turn-off, and then 20km unsealed to a T-intersection. Turn left for lookouts over The Loop and the superb Nature’s Window (1km return). Bring lots of water for the unshaded Loop Trail (8km return). Turning right at the T leads to Z-Bend with a breathtaking lookout (1.2km return) or you can continue steeply down to the gorge bottom (2.6km return). Head back to Ajana Kalbarri Rd and travel a further 24km before turning off to Hawk’s Head , where there are great views and picnic tables, and Ross Graham lookout , where you can access the river. It’s possible to hike 38km from Ross Graham to The Loop in a demanding four-day epic, but be warned: there are no marked trails and several river crossings.